Tag Archives: online gaming

Since the dawn of humankind, people have sketched maps on cave walls and rocks. These maps documented and communicated important geographic knowledge, and helped our ancestors make better decisions about the critical choices that determined their survival or demise.

Fast-forward to the 1960s. Computers had arrived on the scene and were beginning to be used to help us solve increasingly complex problems. “It was not until the IT revolution brought new hardware and software, removing earlier constraints, that hopes could begin to be realized and modern GIS could take shape,” Prof. Brian J. L. Berry of the University of Texas, Dallas says in an article titled “Quo Vadimus?” in the upcoming Spring 2012 issue of ArcNews. “And take shape it has, creating the extraordinary new interdisciplinary area of geospatial information science.”

Video games have moved beyond the stereotype of simple entertainment and are now a serious technological and cultural force to be reckoned with. Millions of people spend many hours each week immersed in the rich virtual environments of today’s sophisticated games. And the multibillion dollar market for games has moved beyond teen males, with adults and women now more engaged than ever.

Most games today have a spatial component, and these virtual worlds are becoming more complex and sophisticated. There is no doubt that video games have a high potential for effective education, with individuals often learning valuable skills and gaining experience from within a simulated environment. But beyond education, where else do GIS and gaming intersect?